Today was my first time really looking at the car after purchasing it. I have not seen the car all week and was feeling some buyer’s remorse. All of that changed today after I went through the car. It is actually better than I thought is would be. More things work than not. I am also confident that it is a keeper.

Here is a run down of what occurred today.

Items removed:
Old center consul
Floor mats
After market pull-out radio harness and all related wiring
Remains of an alarm system
Run of wires from radio to trunk for non extant amp
Run of wires to the battery for the non extant amp
3 spoke center caps on wheels
Silly overly small steering wheel
Dead fuses

Things fixed:
Passenger side outer door handle, door now opens
Added a factory steering wheel
Rear hood now latches tight

Things I discovered:
Window wipers do not work
Fog lights my be spliced into head light wire harness
Found some wires from wire harness in front trunk not connect to anything
Wires near wiper motor not connected to anything
80% of the dash wiring is intact and works
Passenger side head light does not illuminate when I switch on the Brights
Body has less rust than I thought
Rear bumper is compressed on passenger side from impact
Rear end is sagging need new springs
Emergency break button popped off.
Speedometer was serviced at some time so mileage may be off.
Speedometer works but cable is not spinning when I drive
Will need all seals around Targa top, windows, door handles
Hood release lever does not spring back and needs to be pushed into place
No “E” in Porsche on my engine hood
Rocker panels are cracked
Rear view mirror is a goner
All carpet and upholstery will need to go.
Dash pad is a goner
Have a short shifter that will need to be replaced with a stock one
Passenger side window is chipped

Good things:
Starts on the first try
Engine runs good
Transmission shifts good except for downshifting into first while I am rolling
Low rust
Rims look like keepers for now
Breaks work good

If all goes well I could be driving it to work on Monday.

since i didn't say hello on your other thread





but as said on the other thread

Poohsan, congratulations. There's something very satisfying about going through a neglected car and bringing it back to top form little by little. I too started going through my new purchase. It looks like my peddle assembly was half under water (rust level at midpoint). So much to fix, but I got one thing done. I can now shift into 1st and 3rd. What did you do to get the door handle to work? Both my handles are original, but are pretty sloppy.
Good luck with your car.

Congrats! You just reminded me of the 914-6 I just bought. DPO said the dash pad and other vinyl parts got destroyed because of a broken window. I bought it sight unseen. Their definition of broken window turned out to mean missing window cranks. Shame so much collateral damage was caused by such a simple repair, if you can even call it that. Lots damage in the trunk turned out to be just old garbage and junk thrown in there years ago. Undoing years of "PO modifications" can make a dramatic improvement even if it is as simple as throwing out the remains of their last lunch -- before they parked the car three years ago.

Cheers,

BenT

The outside handle was installed but was not working. When I pulled it off, I found that the plastic cam on the backside of the handle was broken. It was missing the tooth that presses the latch mechanism. The PO had included 2 additional handles, both unusable. I was able to salvage a cam from one and swapped it to the handle I was working on.

After that the door worked fine. I did notice that if the cam is cracked or bending that the door may not work properly making it difficult to open the door.

Here is how it looked when I started.
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Here is some of the stuff I removed
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After 2 hours
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Typical condition of the seals.
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I’ll need a new button for the break lever. This one is stripped and popped off. I may machine one from aluminum, unless someone here already makes an aluminum one.
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Mirror is falling apart and unsalvageable. Are there any stylish after market ones? Suggestions?
Click to view attachment

I bought a mirror from Pep boys that was decent enough except that the mounting tab was fairly small and fell off once or twice while driving. I'm thinking of making a bigger mounting tab from aluminum to give a greater surface area for the glue.

For door panels, the quick and easy solution is to buy a set from one of the guys in the Resources section. Morphenspectra sells door panels made from fiberglass rather than the crummy cardboard. I've heard only good things about his stuff.

-Tony

Last year I bought one at K-Mart for next to nothing just about the same size as the OEM mirror,saved a ton of money.
Paul F.

I now have tiers.
The car is now officially drivable.

195/60R15 88H Toyo Proxes

It is painfully obvious that I need to replace the struts and springs. It sits low and leans to one side when I sit in it. It also feels soft like a Cadillac.

Can anyone offer a suggestion on what to get and where to get them here in Los Angeles?

-Arron